A Season of Family Fun
Anne Ferguson
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We are a long-time Valleyfair family! I started having an annual season pass when I was in 4th grade (many years ago!) and now have been taking my 9 and 11 years old sons to Valleyfair since they were toddlers! We love the wide variety of rides for all ages. When my boys were young they loved the rides for younger kids. There are so many rides to keep toddlers, preschoolers and young children entertained for hours! As my kids got older and more adventurous we were able to expand to more of the thrill rides. It's amazing how quickly kids grow and reach the minimum heights required for each ride. My 11-year-old has been tall enough for everything in the park for at least a couple years and my 9-year-old is just centimeters away from being tall enough for everything too, though he's been tall enough for most of the thrill rides of at least two summers now.
I used to be a thrill seeker but now my boys have taken over for me. Though they can still get me on the Power Tower and Wild Thing once in a while. Thrill-seekers will find plenty of rides to give them that awesome adrenaline rush! In addition to Power Tower and Wild Thing, two highlights of the park, check out Extreme Swing, Renegade roller coaster, Looping Star Ship, and North Star if you dare! The High Roller, Corkscrew, and Excalibur are classic roller coasters that stand the test of time and we love riding again and again.
We LOVE the Route 76 area in the front of the park. From tame, family rides like the Antique Autos (because what kid doesn't love driving a car?) to the spin of the Scrambler and the Tilter all the way to the thrills of Steel Venom and the new ride Delirious, this area of the park has something for everyone.
One of our favorite benefits of having a Season Pass is the ability to visit the park for just a few hours at a time. One day recently we ventured across the river just to hit the water park for a few hours. The temperature outside wasn't even that warm but that didn't stop my boys from enjoying the water slides, Lazy River, Raging Rapids, Hurricane Falls (my favorite for sure!), and the Wave Pool. Season Passholders can get into the water park 15 minutes earlier than the rest of the park visitors and this is a great benefit on those hot days when you want to head straight to Soak City and beat the heat.
Great food and treats are another thing that make a visit to Valleyfair so much fun. We love the wide variety of food choices... traditional options like burgers, chicken, fries, Subway sandwiches, cheese curds, pronto pups, cheese on a stick and more. There are also great Mexican and Asian options and your standard fair treats including funnel cakes, cotton candy, snow cones, ice cream and so much more. Our recent visit to Soak City ended with Dippin' Dots ice cream and a stop for our favorite savory treat which are the famous seasoned Crabfries at Chickie's and Pete's near the Looping Starship. Don't forget the cheese to dip these fries in. So yummy! Also, I am gluten free and appreciate all the gluten free options Valleyfair has added and promoted in the last few years.
Once you become a Season Passholder you'll want to keep coming back year after year. Definitely get the Gold Pass if possible so your parking is included. I usually purchase my passes at the end of the previous season for the following year. This is the lowest price of the year and there are even payment plans available that spread out the cost over 9 months or so (without any fees or interest) which is a wonderful way to make Valleyfair Season Passes affordable for our family. You only need to go to the park two times to make your Season Pass worth the price! And with a Season Pass, you'll get a 10% discount on any purchases in the park when you present your card. Such a nice perk.
Happy Summer to all and see you at Valleyfair!